Motor Trend finds traction in a subscription streaming service

Motor Trend is betting on paid subscriptions for streaming video with its 15-month-old Motor Trend OnDemand service, available for $5.99 a month or $99 for two years through Roku and Apple TV.

Since launching, Motor Trend OnDemand has attracted over 100,000 subscribers. Subscribers have access to more than 2,000 hours of content, and this year, it streamed over 800 hours of motorsports racing coverage, including Le Mans and the Monaco Historic Grand Prix.

Now, Motor Trend’s parent company is looking to expand the effort through a joint venture with Discovery Communications, which bought a controlling stake in TEN a month ago. The JV will combine the video libraries of Motor Trend OnDemand with Velocity, the Discovery-owned cable channel. The long-term goal: Use the Motor Trend service as a template for other Discovery brands like Animal Planet, according to Scott Dickey, president of The Enthusiast Network.

The Enthusiast Network’s first stab at a subscription OTT product has produced a template its new owner, Discovery Communications, hopes to use on its other brands in the United States and Europe.

“We know the investment thesis was solid,” Dickey said. “We know that this can scale. We’re looking to Discovery as far as taking the next step.”